Race to the Top dollars 'just a jump-start' for education

GREENVILLE, N.C. - Millions of dollars made their way to school systems across the east last year as part of President Obama's Race to the Top fund.

The fund is a competitive grant program designed to encourage innovation and reform in state schools.  Our state was one of nine states to receive the funds.

The much needed money comes on the heels of disappointing Adequate Year Progress results and education budget cuts in North Carolina.

So Nine on Your Side tracked the money to make sure it's going toward your child’s future.

"For us it's a jump-start and by no means does it meet all the needs that we have," said Don Phipps, Superintendent of Beaufort County Schools.

80 percent of Beaufort County's grant will be used to help them keep up with new technology requirements and core curriculum guidelines set for August.

"I don't think any of us have the money to be able to do that on our own," said Phipps.

Nine on Your Side did some digging and reviewed Beaufort County's budget along with those all across the east.

Here’s a breakdown of the Race to the Top funds some counties received:
    
Beaufort County:            $992,216
Pitt County:                   $3,848,306
Lenoir County:               $1,392,977
Craven County:              $2,121,344
Onslow County:             $3.4 million (approx.)

We quickly discovered that millions of dollars don't go far in education.  Most counties, like Beaufort, are just trying to keep up.

"They're almost all the same.  If you did a pie chart of the counties the money falls out to, it's almost identical from system to system," said Phipps.

A state mandate for online testing by the end of the next school year along with a general push for more technology in the hands of students has schools scrambling for computer equipment, leading to equipment costs that have eaten up most of the Race to the Top dollars.

"The standard course of study in North Carolina is an inch deep and a mile long and the idea is we want to be able to go deeper and spend a little more time," said Phipps.

Phipps says it's not just about putting an iPad or mobile device in the student’s hand, but integrating its technology into the classroom and broadening educational possibilities.  A difference, he says, they're already seeing in Beaufort County.

North Carolina won a total of $500 million.  The state divided that money among all the counties based on need and student population density.

Other than technology, counties across the east put Race to the Top money toward professional development and training as part of their preparation for the core curriculum changes scheduled to take place in August.